TOPCAR'S TOP GUNS FOR 2009

topCar magazine presents its top cars for 2009 in their January 2009 issue. Have a look at what this quirky bunch from the fast Cape are doing for their first issue of the year.

HATCH COMPARISON: Honda Jazz vs Ford Fiesta vs Suzuki Swift. If form ever met function in the biblical sense, their offspring would undoubtedly be a five-door hatch. And it could be one of these.

ROAD TEST: Honda Accord Tourer

Ignore the herd and find greener pasture - Just because everyone’s doing the same thing, doesn’t mean it’s the clever thing to do. Take the latest craze of men wearing white leather shoes and pink golf shirts. Yes, I know it’s fashion, but they said the same thing about permed peroxide mullets and stonewashed jeans not so long ago. The moral of the story? Following the herd will make you look stupid and you’ll have to learn the lyrics to all Abba’s greatest hits.

ROAD TEST: Toyota Hilux

It’s now six generations since the modest HiLux pickup from Japan caught the attention of the South African public in 1969, and the latest beasts truly live up to the name. The Spartan cabins and basic technology of those early days have been transformed to luxury palaces bristling with gadgets. Hard cross-ply tyres have been replaced with magic carpet radials; the basic monochrome bodyshell is now a shimmering feast of upswept curves in pearlescent hues. Hell, in one of these you even feel pretty sharp taking the garden refuse to the local dump.

FEATURE: Soweto Car Wash

If you want to fit in at the Junxion, your ride better have some street cred.

I’m in the heart of South Africa’s most famous township and, thankfully, I’m in a flash car. It’s a smart little 2+2, a Lexus SC430 – not the world’s latest convertible, even if it’s new to SA. But is it going to get any attention in the world of black diamonds?

FEATURE: The Cars that count 2009

We rate the new Nissan 370Z, Focus RS, Audi A1, the next GTI, Honda’s hybrid Insight, the breakthrough Porsche Panamera and Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. We unveil Honda’s next NSX, the next VW Polo and the BMW X1, amongst others.

FEATURE: GT40 Revival

Mimic an iconic automotive recipe and you will win hearts, just as Ford has done with the Ford GT and Superformance with the SPF GT40. The difference is that one followed a microwave instruction booklet, the other stayed true to grandma’s favourite method.

CLASSIC CAR: Opel Kadett TS

The Kadett/Astra 200tS represented the swansong of locally developed specials and in the early 1990s only Delta still had the independence – and the courage – to develop a uniquely South African performance car.